Player IWillDominate's days of verbal abuse and bad sportsmanship are over.

Remember how growing up, your elders always told you, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?" IWillDominate, a professional League of Legends player, probably should have heeded this advice. While IWillDominate's level of play is far beyond reproach, he has had a recurring problem with verbal abuse and unsportsmanlike conduct. After persisting in this behavior, Riot Games has taken the drastic step of banning IWillDominate from the professional LoL scene, making it impossible for him to compete in the League of Legends Championship Series.

"We take sportsmanship and player behavior very seriously, and we fundamentally believe that pro players should not be exempt from scrutiny over their behavior," says Dustin Beck, vice president of eSports at Riot. According to Beck, Riot puts pro players under the microscope because they should act as role models for the rest of the community, not cautionary tales. "The decision to impact someone's career is not one we make lightly, which is why this is tough news to deliver. Unfortunately, our Tribunal recently was forced to permanently ban a pro player as a response to his persistent toxic behavior." Riot has permanently banned IWillDominate's accounts, forcing his teammates on Team Dignitas to seek out a new player for this year's championships.

IWillDominate has courted controversy before - at least nine times, according to Riot. Nine tribunals have judged the player for repeated incidents of abusive language, profane outbursts, unpleasant attitude, and pointed insults. Eight times, he received punishment for his actions. Even so, IWillDominate's harassment score increased by 30% over the last few months, putting him within the top 1% of the game's most objectionable players. "It's important to note how severe and consistent the behavior of this particular individual was, as is outlined in the ruling," continues Beck. "No other professional players in NA approach this individual's harassment score."

For his own part, IWillDominate seems fairly contrite about his actions, and has done nothing to contest the ban. "Although the ruling is extremely tough, I agree with riot (sic) that player sportsmanship is a serious matter and I want to apologize to anyone that i've (sic) offended in game and my fans," he writes on Reddit. During his exile, IWillDominate plans to continue playing at an amateur level and hone his skills to someday return to the professional arena. "League of Legends is my life, and I will do everything in my power to play as long as possible." After nine tribunals, amending his bad behavior won't be easy, but he'll have the Summoner's Code to help him out.

Eclipse Dragon:He's taking this with surprising humbleness considering how bad of a sport he was. I suppose they did warn him multiple times, he had to have known this was coming.

I'm just curious as to why the sudden switch of attitude and why he was so bad to begin with. (I don't play League of Legends)

League of Legends is really competitive. It's not uncommon for players to get really angry at each other. It is, however, somewhat uncommon for a pro player to be so bad. From my understanding, they're mostly fairly cool about the game outside of tournaments.

League of Legends is my life, and I will do everything in my power to play as long as possible.

Someone needs to get their priorities straight IMO.

Bash Riot all day long about not knowing how to run a professional scene, but this is a win in their book. With this they have proven they aren't complete pushovers when it comes to their community getting out of hand.

Exactly what I was thinking. As much as I like LoL, or any game for that matter, I could never say it's my life >.>

If he's a "pro" player ("pro" being "professional" meaning "this is what I do for a living"), that's not too unusual. I mean, we wouldn't bat an eye at a Dodger saying, "Baseball is my life."

I usually have the same reaction to any sport or game. I agree that most people wouldn't have the same reaction to any other professional sport and I don't get it. They'll rag on video games for being "just a game" then turn around and go on about [Insert pro sport here] like it's super serious.

2. The ban wasn't a lifetime ban like normal players get but only a 1 year ban. Also normal players only get 4 chances to "reform" before a permaban.

3. Riot actually has no way for players to have strikes removed against their record. I've known people who went 6 months, a year, and even two years without a ban when it was their final strike. Then when they get to tribunal and then punished it was a permaban.

4. Tribunal is a screwed up system where due to the changes the "justice elo" and "accuracy" spiked up the punish rate back up to 80-85%. The person with the highest "justice elo" even said so himself that he basically spams punish. Also even the most trivial things gets players banned and Lyte is okay with players being banned than actual justice or reform happening. Imagine if you said GG easy in your online games when you had a stompfest. Well guess what. You can get permabanned from typing that. Basically if players perceive something to be "negative" then you can get banned from it and usually are.

I always figured being in the top 1% of objectionable LoL players earned someone a medal, not a banning.

Well, maybe not the playersPHA+PGltZyBzcmM9Imh0dHA6Ly9hcnQucGVubnktYXJjYWRlLmNvbS9waG90b3MvNzk1NjYzNjU1X211dm1ILUwuanBnIiBhbHQ9ImltYWdlIi8+PC9wPg==

All in all, I'm for much stricter regulation of communication within public games, particularly in the hot-drop-into-party sphere (Call of Duty, Halo, League of Legends, etc.). Its about making the gaming community open and welcoming to all, and this vile black sludge of our gaming past needs to be cleansed if we are to grow up as a community. It was fun to cuss each other out when we were in the same room playing Goldeneye, but I'm sick of being forced to take the verbal abuse from random strangers on the interest just so I can play a round of Team Deathmatch (yes, yes, mute and all that, but why should I be forced to act while they get off scott-free?).

I usually have the same reaction to any sport or game. I agree that most people wouldn't have the same reaction to any other professional sport and I don't get it. They'll rag on video games for being "just a game" then turn around and go on about [Insert pro sport here] like it's super serious.

See, you're still talking about fans seemingly. This guy made a career out of playing LoL and was getting paid well to do it. This was his job, not just a game. So his priorities were fine, considering LoL paid his bills.

My thought on that banned 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

First, Halo and now this. It make me wonder which games will going to used this policy next?

I usually have the same reaction to any sport or game. I agree that most people wouldn't have the same reaction to any other professional sport and I don't get it. They'll rag on video games for being "just a game" then turn around and go on about [Insert pro sport here] like it's super serious.

See, you're still talking about fans seemingly. This guy made a career out of playing LoL and was getting paid well to do it. This was his job, not just a game. So his priorities were fine, considering LoL paid his bills.

I suppose you're right. I've never been able to take the whole "pro player" seriously because of the fans.

Exactly what I was thinking. As much as I like LoL, or any game for that matter, I could never say it's my life >.>

If he's a "pro" player ("pro" being "professional" meaning "this is what I do for a living"), that's not too unusual. I mean, we wouldn't bat an eye at a Dodger saying, "Baseball is my life."

I usually have the same reaction to any sport or game. I agree that most people wouldn't have the same reaction to any other professional sport and I don't get it. They'll rag on video games for being "just a game" then turn around and go on about [Insert pro sport here] like it's super serious.

Oh, I'm totally baffled by professional sports/videogame players in general. I just said it wasn't too unusual.

We could also go outside of the entertainment realm. Theoretical physics is my life. Building web apps is my life. Hairdressing is my life.

I mean, he could've turned the crazy up to 11:

"My cats are my life," he says with dead eyes, eyes that only show a flicker of happiness when they gaze upon one of his fifty-three felines.

"Preparing for the coming apocalypse is my life," he says from his metal shipping container, buried in an undisclosed location somewhere in Georgia. The container is entirely self-contained, and can support him for four years without outside supplies--longer if he can safely collect rainwater after the apocalypse.

Doesn't matter if you wear wrecked and ruined cloth, or royal finely sown regalia - you act negatively towards people, you face the consequences of your actions. Hope he learned a lesson about keeping his manners and temper in place after this.

I usually have the same reaction to any sport or game. I agree that most people wouldn't have the same reaction to any other professional sport and I don't get it. They'll rag on video games for being "just a game" then turn around and go on about [Insert pro sport here] like it's super serious.

See, you're still talking about fans seemingly. This guy made a career out of playing LoL and was getting paid well to do it. This was his job, not just a game. So his priorities were fine, considering LoL paid his bills.

So that gives him a right to be a dick to others? From what I hear LoL is infamous foe people actinmg like this and they banned this guy to prove they're not joking now.

Tenmar:2. ...Also normal players only get 4 chances to "reform" before a permaban.

3. Riot actually has no way for players to have strikes removed against their record. I've known people who went 6 months, a year, and even two years without a ban when it was their final strike. Then when they get to tribunal and then punished it was a permaban.

4. Tribunal is a screwed up system where due to the changes the "justice elo" and "accuracy" spiked up the punish rate back up to 80-85%. The person with the highest "justice elo" even said so himself that he basically spams punish. Also even the most trivial things gets players banned and Lyte is okay with players being banned than actual justice or reform happening. Imagine if you said GG easy in your online games when you had a stompfest. Well guess what. You can get permabanned from typing that. Basically if players perceive something to be "negative" then you can get banned from it and usually are.

Much like everything else spat towards Tribunal, you can't prove any of what you just said. Riot withholds the ability to change everything about Tribunal whenever they want and they don't exactly show a lot about how it works in great detail. I would assume that's because they want their system to be unique for the time being. Please, don't bring all the unfounded hate from the LoL forums here.

OT: Still doesn't prove Riot is good at sowing good within their community. They still treat pro players with preferential treatment in these regards and while I don't 100% agree with everything Tenmar said, there is some truth to it. Nine full cases seems like a lot, especially for someone that's more visible than the average offender. If they're going to hold pro players to a higher standard, that means they should be allowed less mistakes than the average player, not more.

I'm glad to see such a visible player who's toxic get banned, but again Riot contradict themselves and prove they don't mean what they say.

So that gives him a right to be a dick to others? From what I hear LoL is infamous foe people actinmg like this and they banned this guy to prove they're not joking now.

Perhaps you should read the rest of a conversation before jumping in and making yourself look sorta foolish. "League of Legends is my life" is the quote we were talking about and Waa originally said he should get his priorities straight. I said his priorities were fine since LoL paid the bills. It had nothing to do with whether or not he deserved the ban.

League of Legends is really competitive. It's not uncommon for players to get really angry at each other. It is, however, somewhat uncommon for a pro player to be so bad. From my understanding, they're mostly fairly cool about the game outside of tournaments.

So is Starcraft, but even from the incendiary players like Idra you don't see anything near what a typical LoL game offers.

Glad to see Riot is still dedicated in its war against BM. Though I fear they are heavily outnumbered, by my experiences (~2k games played) +50% of the playerbase is uncapable of civil conversation, which was also the reason I quit LoL.

League of Legends is really competitive. It's not uncommon for players to get really angry at each other. It is, however, somewhat uncommon for a pro player to be so bad. From my understanding, they're mostly fairly cool about the game outside of tournaments.

So is Starcraft, but even from the incendiary players like Idra you don't see anything near what a typical LoL game offers.

Except Starcraft is a 1v1 where you command everything you do and everything is in your control

LOL? Not so much and a newbie or a noob can basically throw the match all by themselves even if you have the most fed team possible. So you are forced to communicate in chat(which is incredibly inefficient compared to text) and often simply telling your ally what they need to do often results in the person reading to infer their own emotions thus coming out as negative.

LOL has a lot of issues and it isn't actually the stereotype "all lol players are assholes". But instead it is the fact that you have a company holding unrealistic standards onto players where something as harmless as "gg easy" can result in a permaban. Going through tribunal now compared to when it started you would have a hard time now actually finding players using words like nigger or cracker or making death threats. Now players are getting banned for criticisms or even the word "noob" even if the player in question being called a noob is going 0/14/0.

Fact of life is that not everyone will get along. And that's okay and if anything normal. You don't get along with every stranger you meet but you certainly don't get them fired from their job or ban them from going to the places you are going either.

Tribunal used to do some good but now that the bar lowered so much anything is considered ban worthy and it is one of the smallest tightropes you will ever walk as a player. I remember being supportive of Moviebob and his movement but Tribunal takes his ideal to a logical extreme and I certainly have changed my stance. I'd rather deal with the rager than someone who has the thinnest of skin and can't take even the smallest of criticism if the risk is that I get banned from playing a video game I enjoy. Cause that's the rub. We are banning other players from a hobby we all enjoy and something like "GG easy" should not get them banned from any game they play. Racist remarks and death threats, sure ban em, go nuts. But anything less than that is absolutely insane and that is what Tribunal is doing right now. The racists remarks and death threats are gone but the machine keeps rolling on and isn't stopping so now people who have small spats are the ones being banned now.

Eclipse Dragon:He's taking this with surprising humbleness considering how bad of a sport he was. I suppose they did warn him multiple times, he had to have known this was coming.

I'm just curious as to why the sudden switch of attitude and why he was so bad to begin with. (I don't play League of Legends)

League of Legends is really competitive. It's not uncommon for players to get really angry at each other. It is, however, somewhat uncommon for a pro player to be so bad. From my understanding, they're mostly fairly cool about the game outside of tournaments.

Just look at the entirety of M5 and you'll retract your statement.

Also, this isn't the first time this has happened. I know of one or two very very popular streamers who were banned.

Something as dirty as the online gaming community needs to be scrubbed with bleach.

Pretty much this. And add in a flood of biblical poportions to finish up.

I can't believe some people think this attitude is a good thing and should be part of gaming culture.

Except not everything can be "gaming culture". Not everyone who plays games is representing "gaming culture" or making a difference in the culture. Playing video games first and foremost for 99% of people who play video games need to worry about "gaming culture".

The people who make video games as a part of their career or making a difference for good or for ill as part of their everyday lives can constitute as being part of that "gaming culture". Writers, reviewers, pundits, artists, musicians, developers, programmers, analysts, comedians. These are the people that influence and affect "gaming culture". Not the guy who picks up a game of COD or LOL and plays one match a day to relax from the everyday stress of life.

Not everyone needs to be on watch or act as if they are some representative figure of all things video games when they actually have ZERO stake in the creation or involvement of all things video game related.

Oh yes I've heard of this guy's shenanigans. Really did take em long enough.

I will say though, at those high levels if you're a bad player better grow a thick skin or don't queue. You can't even give proper criticism or advice without someone going "Stfu don't tell me how to play" alright fair enough but don't join my games and be the reason we lose? k?